Enabling sound over RDP with a Windows Server 2003 virtual machine

Virtual Server does not provide sound support out of the box - and in the past I have commented that it is possible to get sound out of a virtual machine if you connect to it via RDP and enable sound remoting under the advanced options of the Remote Desktop client. However - sound remoting is not enabled by default. In order to do this you will need to go into the Windows Server 2003 virtual machine and:

Go into the 'Services' section (under Admin tools, under Control Panel)

Change the 'Windows Audio service' from 'Disabled' to 'Automatic' - and start it

Go to the 'Terminal Services Configuration' section (under Admin tools, under Control Panel)

Double click on 'RDP-TCP'

Select the 'Client Settings' tab

Clear the 'Audio Mapping' check box

You should now be able to RDP into the virtual machine and hear sound. (thanks to Brandon Tyler for pointing this out to me).

I hope it works for everyone! All of this was trying to test the new version of Microsoft Speech Server 2007, which of course helps to have sound to test speech applications! Actually, I wound up going back to Windows XP as it just seem easier. I will have to look at this again.

Steve

31 Aug 2010 2:26 PM

Thanks! This worked on Amazon EC2 as well for the Windows Server 2008... :)

Chi

7 Nov 2010 7:36 AM

so how exactly do you RDP into the virtual machine and hear sound.

Neal

5 Dec 2010 8:06 AM

Thanks a million Ben. Was doing my head in, I had video but no sound.... Tried it out and I can Remote Desktop to a VM on my desktop at home and play BBC content (presumably) from anywhere in the world, no expensive sling box for me :)